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TheWebbuilder
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 Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:00 am Post subject: Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood |
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Leave it to the Canadians to save Sonic from the Japanese... As an RPG no less.
http://computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=183596
| Quote: | Preview: Struck with grins and +10 anticipation
There's a hint of madness to Bioware's Sonic outing. Just how can an RPG - the most patient genre this side of Microsoft Hedge Simulator - capture the jittery, tarmac-shredding ways of Sega's blue blur?
Sonic's the Sunny Delight of gaming mascots; RPGs are the stomping grounds for mugs of Bovril. The only grinding he's heard of involves skateboarding, and XP is merely an emoticon for showing disgust. Spend time with Chronicles, however, and disgust is the last thing on your mind.
Sonic's coming home
Entering Chronicles for the first time you're struck by two things: stunning hand-drawn backgrounds and an overwhelming sense of Sonic-ness. It may not be labelled as such, but this is Green Hill Zone.
The chequered rock, the palm trees, the giant loop-the-loop rising from the ground like a bendy Ayers Rock. It's as if someone booted up the original Mega Drive Sonics and saw not 'levels' to be played, but 'locations' that the characters would be happily living in if they weren't fighting off Robotnik every bleedin' hour of the day.
And they're not just aesthetic nods to Sonic's roots; movement within them is retro-flavoured, too. Not control-wise, mind. This is a thoroughly modern stylus-only job: point and Sonic follows. No, the hint of old seeps from context-sensitive level furniture.
See a platform? Tap the icon that appears and Sonic hops up. See a spring? Another tap sends you flying with a 'ba-doing' noise with 1991 written all over it. Tap the icon next to the loop-the-loop and, yes, Sonic speeds round it like the last 17 years haven't happened.
While it's easy to imagine the constant tap-tap-tap as counter-intuitive to the movement flow it attempts to inject, it works surprisingly well. We've certainly not seen an RPG with such physicality before.
These real-time actions also contribute some nice brain-teasing moments. Each character has unique abilities so swapping between them is necessary to activate the context-sensitive icons around the map.
At set points the party divides into its individual members to go to work on a conundrum as a team. Faced with a broken pipe network, you can send Amy and Tails to channel power into a nearby crane, and move Rouge to hook the pipe before Sonic activates the machine.
Hardly taxing, but impressive to see some thought going into aspects that RPGs usually overlook in favour of battling.
Fights begin when you wander into on-screen foes (random battles have been consigned to the RPG cliché bin) and switch to a 3D view not dissimilar to the DS's Final Fantasy III. The scrapping itself, however, has more in common with the Mario & Luigi RPGs.
Although each round begins with a dry menu selection, the action is augmented with timing minigames and reaction tests. Our battle guide below will show you just how well Bioware have busied up the combat to suit Sonic and co.
It's great how Bioware have streamlined the RPG aspects to keep up with our nippy hero without harming the depth we demand from the genre.
There's still a big focus on levelling up stats - speed is particularly useful as it grants extra actions during each battle turn - and item equipment is present in a range of natty trainers for Sonic to wear down into rubber pancakes. And a stint chopping wood shows side quests play a part, earning you rings, the in-game currency.
Perhaps most impressive is how Bioware have tackled the major Sonic hurdle - narrative. Usually comprised of inane skater speak that makes Hollyoaks look like Shakespeare, stories and character work haven't been Sonic's strongpoint.
Bioware promise to address this with a tale that begins as a simple 'oh no, Knuckles has disappeared' but grows into something much darker, with a promised twist that splits the game into two different acts. Possible hint: Tails dies?
If you've played Mass Effect or Knights Of The Old Republic, you'll understand Bioware's dedication to building exciting mythologies (indeed, KOTOR's Star Wars offering is better written than the films) and we expect them to work wonders with Sonic's cast.
Just 15 minutes of play saw Sonic consider leaving Knuckles to rot - a choice on the conversation tree that can't, sadly, be acted out - and a bizarrely adult moment in which prim Amy says to mammalian slattern Rouge the Bat, "You're a tramp!".
Late 2008 can't come soon enough for us. If only to hear what Amy has to say about Vector the crocodile... |
Yeah, I've been following this one for some time now; and teh Solo/Web is stoked. The other people on the SatAM boards I frequent are cautiously optomistic as well.
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Mugen.exe
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:52 am Post subject: |
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It certainly sounds interesting. And hah! Amy stating the obvious. With a name like Rouge, how could she not be? It's on the DS, though? Awesome, my favorite platform!
I will keep a lookout for this. Bioware seems a lot more well-equipped to handle this game that poor ol' Sonic Team. : <
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Robin.exe
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:54 am Post subject: |
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All I can say is wait further for More infomation from Bioware themselfs..
Though I never played Mass effect or KOTOR (Couldn't get the game to work on my computer><) I'm not sure how Bioware will perform..
Heck I don't even know who Bioware is, But this Sonic game is definitly getting my attention 10 folds. Handdrawn backgrounds in a game is definitly a huge feet.
All I can say is. I can definitly wait for this Sonic Title. |
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DanSidney
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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This'll be either the first bad RPG of BioWare's, or the first good Sonic game on a long shot.
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Unknown Neo
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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| It could be a good idea. If they do it right. But what country is the word slattern from? I know what it means but still. And Tails dieing? That might cause an uproar. Like if they put in any character from the Archie comics. Probably even bigger. |
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ComicX6
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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I'm expecting either something awesome, 'cause it's Bioware, or a trainwreck, 'cause it's Sonic. There is no middle ground.
Sonic and the DS have done well together in the past, so I'll definitely get this if it turns out to be good. I love the graphical presentation and the art style, and Mario and Luigi-esque gameplay is an automatic win for me.
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TheWebbuilder
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Robin.exe
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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Some of those screens are kinda old. "Kinda" being the keyword.
Any way. I keep hearing how Bioware makes these incredible storys to their games and all. Also know they have full controll over this title.
So who knows. From a interview on IGN they said the story is so massive it might make sequeals (In Bioware's producer of the projects own words) |
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DynawaveXD
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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Looks interesting. Is the gameplay Super Mario RPG ish? If it is, I'll love it.
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Robin.exe
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:25 am Post subject: |
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That I have info from. In a way Yes. Its all button timing to use some of the skills when attacking and timing it right. So in a way its almost like M&L RPG. But in order to hit the buttons in time, You have to increse the characters SPEED.
More Speed= More time to hit the buttons. www.ign.com They have the info up if anoyone wants to give a read. right now I have a pounding headach><.
The worlds will consist of 2 acts. 1st act is in Sonics world while the 2nd act is in the other world. The storie kinda goes like this from what I got.
"Eggman has been defeated by some mysterious force and that Knuckles has been kidnaped. While at the Same time the Chaos emeralds are disappearing. Sonic deciding to head out farther into his world to explore the rest of it and figure out the disappearance of the Chaos emeralds and Knuckles."
Short story^. |
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Mugen.exe
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:14 am Post subject: |
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| Robin.exe wrote: | That I have info from. In a way Yes. Its all button timing to use some of the skills when attacking and timing it right. So in a way its almost like M&L RPG. But in order to hit the buttons in time, You have to increse the characters SPEED.
More Speed= More time to hit the buttons. www.ign.com They have the info up if anoyone wants to give a read. right now I have a pounding headach><.
The worlds will consist of 2 acts. 1st act is in Sonics world while the 2nd act is in the other world. The storie kinda goes like this from what I got.
"Eggman has been defeated by some mysterious force and that Knuckles has been kidnaped. While at the Same time the Chaos emeralds are disappearing. Sonic deciding to head out farther into his world to explore the rest of it and figure out the disappearance of the Chaos emeralds and Knuckles."
Short story^. |
My bet is things just get bigger from there. Like pouring gas onto a campfire, they just have to. This timing thing kind of irks me, but I'll see how it turns out before I judge. Those screenshots look nice. The art is good, and characters aren't terrible. The only thing that made me wary was the map POV. Oh well.
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DynawaveXD
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:39 am Post subject: |
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So it's Super Mario RPG style? Good already. More speed=more time to hit the buttons?
Hmmm, shouldn't be too hard.
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Unknown Neo
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Remember, that new character has a suit or armor or a space suit of sorts. And I'm going to have to say no on Sally or characters from the comics. Besides, we have a lot of good characters to show already. |
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Sai-kun
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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Hm. I was vaguely excited for this game.
But it's on the DS only? Lame. I'd buy it if it was on the 360. Oh well. Chalk this up as another hit-or-miss game. It's either gonna be really good, or fail terribly. Like someone else said: It's either Bioware's first bad RPG or Sonic's first good game in a looooong time.
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TheWebbuilder
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:14 am Post subject: |
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Like... copy/pasta bump...
O.K... so... I looked through the latest Game Informer magazine and there was a one-page write-up on Sonic Chronicles (unsurprising, since 9/10s of GI is about mature content). And I'll hit the highlights.
- The idea actually originated in the SoA offices. (Might be old news, but...)
- The group that kidnaps Knuckles is known as the Marauders.
- The game will be ten chapters long.
- Character classes will be implemented. Tail's will be an engineer, and his Tinker Ability be able to 'rebuff robot's attacks, speed, and accuracy.'
- There are hints of a Game+ mode.
- Levelling up will give the player a certain allotments of points that the player can then choose to appoint to a character as he sees fit. The points can be used to raise skill, speed, attack or unlock new Special Attacks.
- There will be ten different special abilities for each character- problem is that you have to purchase them with the above points.
- Reiteration that there will be ten party members.
- Character trees will allow players to choose what kind of 'tude Sonic has. According to Darrah: "Sonic's ultimately the good guy at heart. He can be a bit more attitude-y Sonic or a little bit more goody-two-shoes Sonic, but ultimately he's still Sonic.
BAM! Finally, someone gets it.
- One of the screenshots is labeled 'The first look at the reimagined Blue Ridge Zone'.
- Chao are back, this time they actually have significance to the storyline. Different Chao offer different stat boosts to the character raising it.
- The screenshots seem to indicate that Rings (currency) will litter the overworld map and can be collected that way.
- The world map originally starts out obscured by a blue layer. As you explore the map will be filled in.
- Today on, 'As the Rose Turns' we discover that Amy has a new boyfriend named 'Dexter'.
Amy getting a life outside of Sonic obsession? Isn't this like... a sign of the apocalypse?
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Unknown Neo
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| That is strange. Who wants to bet he's evil. But the rest of this seems very RPG like. |
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Robin.exe
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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I think thats the point of this creation. A first Sonic RPG game.
But yeah read that in a gamers magazine. Though I thought that whole Dexter thing was a joke? |
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Unknown Neo
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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| I didn't hear anything about it until later too. But I'm still going with the idea that he's evil. Just seems like it. |
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TheWebbuilder
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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Nah, the Dexter bit is real. The screencaps are up at Gamespot.
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Robin.exe
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Huh. Thats a surprise? I'll have to check it out. |
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